Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was invited by the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, to present her research paper titled “Bhakti Mysticism in the Rāsapañcādhyāyī of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: An Analytical Inquiry.” The paper examined the Rāsapañcādhyāyī of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa through the lens of both Indian and Western theories of mysticism, engaging with the works of William James, St. Teresa of Ávila, R. C. Zaehner, Evelyn Underhill, and R. D. Ranade. Through a comparative analytical framework, the study argued that the mystical experience depicted in the Rāsapañcādhyāyī cannot be adequately accommodated within the existing classifications of mysticism proposed by these scholars. Instead, it demonstrated that the text presents a distinctive form of bhakti mysticism, characterized by an enduring devotional relationship between the devotee and the Divine, thereby contributing a unique paradigm to the comparative study of mysticism.
As part of her academic interactions, she presented a copy of her book, Narrative Analysis of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, to Professor Gavin Flood, Senior Research Fellow in Hindu Studies and Comparative Religion, fostering further scholarly exchange in the field of Hindu studies.
This invitation and presentation mark another significant milestone in Dr. Gawde’s ongoing contributions to the global academic discourse on Sanskrit literature, Bhakti traditions, and comparative mysticism.
